SAFe Greatest Practices | Toptal

This text is a component two of Toptal’s Agile scaling sequence, designed to information undertaking managers of their group growth efforts. Learn the primary installment, “5 Agile Scaling Frameworks In contrast: Which One Ought to You Use?” for an in-depth overview of the most well-liked choices.
Within the ultimate article on this sequence, “SAFe Case Research: Transformation Notes From the Discipline,” Toptal consultants and SAFe inventor Dean Leffingwell talk about scaled transitions.

As merchandise develop and develop into extra complicated, so do the groups that produce them. When it’s time to scale, many firms transition from Scrum to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), a system that’s carried out on the enterprise degree and permits companies to handle a number of, complicated merchandise that require groups of groups to develop.

A Scrum grasp shifting into a SAFe framework will step into an surroundings that’s directly acquainted and new. The artifacts, roles, and ceremonies are primarily based on Scrum. However working at a better scale comes with some further duties, particularly for Scrum masters who decide to maneuver into the position of a launch prepare engineer (RTE), a typical trajectory. The RTE acts because the Scrum grasp of all the launch prepare. As an alternative of main a Scrum group of 9 to 11 folks, RTEs develop into servant-leaders to groups of groups that straddle a number of departments, and so they manage occasions of better dimension and scope.

The Fundamentals: Scrum to SAFe

SAFe permits an organization to use Agile approaches, values, and rules throughout a number of groups. The ensuing “group of groups” is named the agile launch prepare (ART). Particular person groups proceed to make use of a Scrum grasp to do enterprise as traditional, whereas the Scrum master-like position on an ART is finished by an RTE. The RTE applies the final mechanisms and governance of Scrum however at an organizational, somewhat than group, degree. Different conventional team-level Scrum roles and artifacts change accordingly, too. For instance, the ART “product proprietor” turns into a product supervisor; a “product backlog” turns into this system backlog; a “dash backlog” is an iteration backlog; and the “product increment” is now this system increment (PI).

There are 4 configurations of SAFe—Important, Massive Answer, Portfolio, and Full—and the one you utilize is determined by how extensively your organization adopts the framework. The configurations permit implementation at a number of ranges, starting from a number of groups working collectively to full portfolio integration and enterprisewide enterprise agility. However at each degree, the purpose stays to scale Agile and Scrum practices, not exchange them.

Scrum Masters in SAFe

Scrum masters working in a SAFe framework on the group degree will discover that their jobs should not considerably completely different. They may stay a servant-leader for an Agile group, liable for teaching and schooling, eradicating impediments, and fostering an surroundings the place group members really feel secure to carry out their finest and repeatedly enhance.

Nonetheless, there will probably be some new duties. A SAFe Scrum grasp helps the RTE within the PI planning occasion and in program execution, and represents their group in ART sync conferences. When there are impediments which can be past the group’s functionality to take away, the Scrum grasp escalates them to the RTE.

A Scrum grasp who decides to develop into an RTE will discover that their position comes with decidedly extra concerns. The ART might embody groups which can be new to you or new to Agile, like enterprise evaluation, {hardware}, or compliance. And since the upper configurations of SAFe embody program or portfolio operations, administration will probably be immediately and frequently concerned in methods they might not be in Scrum, ensuring every little thing is aligned with enterprise- and/or portfolio-level targets.

The RTE is liable for eradicating impediments which can be past a single group’s capability. They convey with stakeholders and drive steady enchancment on the ART degree. The RTE coaches not solely groups but additionally the leaders of these groups, serving to all ranges of the ART transfer towards self-organization and self-management.

SAFe Occasions

Simply as a Scrum grasp facilitates team-level occasions, an RTE facilitates ART-level occasions—the PI planning, the ART sync, the system demo, and the examine and adapt. As an RTE, you’ll be participating with a greater diversity of stakeholders than you had been as a Scrum grasp and dealing with a number of groups with competing pursuits. There are extra—and extra assorted—attendees at each occasion, and it’s good to align priorities and get buy-in for initiatives effectively prematurely.

PI Planning

The PI planning occasion is a vital ceremony for SAFe, a huge two-day session to align the targets of all groups inside the ART for the subsequent eight to 12 weeks by creating the PI plan. It’s like a dash planning occasion, but it surely spans a number of sprints throughout a number of groups.

Inputs

• Enterprise imaginative and prescient
• Record of high 10 to fifteen options to be carried out
• Particulars on every group’s capability

Outputs

• PI plan (a supply plan for the subsequent 5 to 6 sprints)
• PI goals
• Record of potential dangers

Common Ideas for the PI Planning Occasion

• Get hold of stakeholder buy-in. Previous to the assembly, RTEs ought to set up who the important thing stakeholders are and share their inputs with the group.
• Align priorities. Earlier than the session, schedule a daylong assembly with the product administration group to agree on a high-level view of what options needs to be delivered, in addition to future priorities. There will probably be lots to work out on the occasion, like dangers and dependencies, and it’s good to have fundamental directional settlement in place.
• Rehearse! The PI planning is a big occasion. It won’t be helpful to spend two full days rehearsing, however a two- to four-hour session with the ART’s group leaders that creates an as-close-as-possible expertise will assist immensely. Create a simplified model of the occasion’s agenda and share it previous to the rehearsal in order that apply can begin from a well-informed place.
• Be ready for mission creep. The purpose of the PI planning is to ship a long-term plan in a relatively brief time frame. Generally folks will need to go into in depth element on every little thing, which isn’t what the occasion is for. Clarify this to the group leaders on the rehearsal and within the session; remind the groups that the intention is to ship high-level plans and create alignment, to not plan each minute of the subsequent three months.
• Put together team-capacity data. Ask your Scrum masters to offer capability calculations for the subsequent eight to 12 weeks. Count on some pushback or questions; as an illustration, a Scrum grasp might not know exactly what number of absences their group can have over the subsequent two months. In such instances, ask for estimates, and be versatile when responding to capability limits through the PI itself.
• Share the PI planning agenda. Distribute the schedule no less than two weeks earlier than the occasion, and be ready to reply plenty of questions. There will probably be many attendees, and if SAFe is new to you and your organization, it’s most likely additionally new to many different group members. In my expertise, by the second or third PI planning occasion, the strain on the facilitators turns into a lot much less intense because the groups get aware of the occasion and know what to anticipate.
• Safe administration attendance. It’s typically troublesome for managers or senior managers to attend a two-day occasion, however administration attendance is a should to make sure high-level alignment. Affirm their attendance no less than two weeks earlier than the PI planning, and prepare for any help they’ll require. The identical applies to enterprise house owners, who have to log off on PI goals.

ART Sync

The ART sync occasion is a weekly assembly the place the RTE can achieve insights into the groups’ progress and determine program dangers and roadblocks. Whereas in no way the one event for an RTE to guage impediments and decide whether or not they require escalation, it’s an necessary occasion that gives an everyday venue for these issues to be raised.

Inputs

• Groups’ progress
• Impediments log
• The PI plan (to determine any main deviations between the plan and precise progress)

Outputs

• Escalations (if required)
• Choices about any adjustments to the PI plan

Common Ideas for the ART Sync Occasion

• Encourage common communication. As a result of the ART Sync is weekly, as a substitute of every day like Scrum stand-ups, the RTE ought to make it clear that groups can elevate pressing points instantly and shouldn’t await the subsequent ART sync.
• Be ready with knowledge. Ask Scrum masters and product house owners to convey quantifiable progress metrics, comparable to burndown or cumulative circulation, so as to have an knowledgeable dialog about progress.
• Transcend a weekly standing overview. The ART sync is supposed to be an occasion the place priorities are aligned and issues are resolved, not a easy check-in.

System Demo

The system demo is meant to showcase the complete scope of labor created throughout a previous iteration. At this occasion, the product supervisor and their group present enterprise house owners and different stakeholders the ART’s built-in progress in its present kind.

Enter

• The present state of labor primarily based on the output of all Agile group members over the course of the previous iteration

Outputs

Common Ideas for the System Demo Occasion

• Rehearse! Commit 30 to 45 minutes each different week to working with presenters to nail down their segments.
• Ditch the slides. Current the precise built-in work. In case you’re engaged on a software program product, have the presenters present the stakeholders a working product increment somewhat than a slide deck. If attainable, exhibit your product in a staging surroundings. You need the demo to precisely resemble the end-user expertise. If you’re unable to current an built-in system each two weeks, have a look at your supply pipeline and brainstorm with the groups on how one can undertake CI/CD and DevOps tradition.
• Give attention to enterprise worth. Your presentation is for enterprise house owners and stakeholders; share what’s most necessary to them.
• Preserve the suggestions targeted. The stakeholder suggestions you obtain will probably be necessary, however this occasion shouldn’t be the time for drastic adjustments to the product imaginative and prescient or roadmap. Be able to steer the dialog again to high-level suggestions that the groups can flip into motion objects at a later time.
• Preserve it brief. Stakeholders are busy folks; a 45- to 60-minute assembly will lead to extra frequent and engaged attendance.
• Enable time for Q&A. Be clear in your solutions. Keep in mind that generally “I don’t know, however we will discover out” is the perfect reply.

Examine and Adapt

The examine and adapt is a mega-retrospective session that takes place on the finish of a PI. The session is split into three elements:

• The PI system demo: a showcase for all the PI’s built-in output. It’s just like the primary system demo, however as a substitute of 1 iteration, this occasion showcases the built-in work throughout all the PI.
• Quantitative and qualitative measurements: a chance for the RTE to current metrics gathered over the course of the PI. These metrics embody (however should not restricted to) group velocity, person tales accepted, unit check protection, or open defects.
• Retrospective and problem-solving workshop: an opportunity for individuals to look again on the PI, replicate on what did and didn’t work, determine systematic points, and suggest methods to resolve them.

Inputs

• Groups’ progress
• The present state of the ART’s built-in work, together with the entire program increment’s output

Output

• Record of potential enhancements

Common Ideas for the Examine and Adapt Occasion

• Give enterprise house owners advance discover. Present no less than two weeks’ discover earlier than the occasion. Meet with any attending product managers and enterprise house owners earlier than the session to align on the qualitative outcomes presentation.
• Safe the attendance of senior stakeholders. Their presence is most necessary on the PI system demo whenever you showcase the group’s work and the evolving product. Lots of the pointers for the common system demo apply right here: rehearse beforehand, keep away from presentation slides, and showcase precise deliverables.
• Keep away from blame. All through the session, make it possible for no one feels threatened by the information offered or the issues recognized within the retrospective. Some groups might really feel jealous or defensive if one other group’s numbers are larger or really feel singled out if an issue originated with their group. Embrace a whole-team tradition to preempt such issues.
• Give attention to systematic points. Attempt to not give an excessive amount of consideration to sporadic issues, present your group with the house they should brainstorm, and let imaginations run free for the proposed options.
• Create actionable proposals. On the finish of the occasion, you must have backlog objects for the groups to implement. Figuring out issues doesn’t assist for those who don’t take steps to unravel them.

The desk under compares the SAFe occasions with their Scrum equivalents, and describes the frequency and execution of ceremonies on the enterprise degree:

Stepping Up and Scaling Up

The transition from Scrum to SAFe will be an intimidating one. Working at a better scale will all the time current new challenges and new methods of desirous about even essentially the most acquainted practices. In case you select to develop into an RTE, you’ll discover that the job relies upon most on the talents you have already got. An RTE is a change agent and a servant-leader, identical to a Scrum grasp, and the job offers you the possibility to carry out this position at an enterprise degree, elevating your expertise alongside your merchandise.

Learn the subsequent installment of Toptal’s Agile scaling sequence, “SAFe Case Research: Transformation Notes From the Discipline.”